The American Presidency

Clifford Berryman and the Teddy Roosevelt African Expedition

By NMAH, August 24, 2021
Cartoon illustration of the Smithsonian Castle on the National Mall buried underneath stacks of crates and barrels marked with the initials, "TR."

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Theodore Roosevelt on a beach
Theodore Roosevelt, Hunter-Naturalist
Within a gallery stands a rifle once presented to Theodore Roosevelt. It is perhaps an odd gift, considering that it was given to him with...
A portrait of a man sitting behind a curtain drawn partially back to show a church spire. His hair and moustache are unkempt and he looks directly at the viewer, his head seeming to hang low.
A criminal scheme of the 1880s brought presidential treasures to the Smithsonian
I was exploring storage one day with Larry Bird, emeritus curator in the museum's Division of Political History, when a very curious self-...
Political cartoon
Poking fun at the crowded presidential race—in the 1880s
The amazing thing about running for president is how many people are actually willing to attempt it. The 2016 campaign's big crop is...

Radium and the Gift from the Women of America

By NMAH, May 20, 2021
Group of people led by Dr. Marie Curie and President Harding walking down steps at the White House

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Science and political protest: A Q&A with Dr. Florence Haseltine
In March 1995, Ladies Home Journal named Dr. Florence Haseltine one of the ten most important women in medicine. Haseltine, currently...
A heart shaped content
How Evelyn Lauder took on breast cancer at the cosmetics counter
They had just arrived in a foreign country and the small girl’s mother was sent away.  Ernest and Mimi Hausner fled their home in...
Black and white photo of man laying face-down on medical instrument
My ultrasound used to look like what?
Imagine walking into your doctor's office for your diagnostic ultrasound for ovarian screening, rounding the corner to the procedure...

Theodore Roosevelt, Hunter-Naturalist

By NMAH, October 27, 2020
Theodore Roosevelt on a beach

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Jimmy Carter: American homebrew hero?
The next time you raise a glass of craft beer, make sure you toast former President Jimmy Carter. No, really. You should be offering your...
Bronze Abraham Lincoln life mask on white background
What connects Abraham Lincoln and vampires? Bram Stoker, of course.
What is it about Abraham Lincoln and vampires? When Seth Grahame-Smith published his action/horror mash-up novel Abraham Lincoln: Vampire...
Political cartoon
Poking fun at the crowded presidential race—in the 1880s
The amazing thing about running for president is how many people are actually willing to attempt it. The 2016 campaign's big crop is...

Five things to listen for during a presidential debate

By NMAH, September 29, 2020
Debate chairs from the 1960 election

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A red program for an inauguration with the statue of liberty and a golden star in the center
"You just became President of the United States. What would you like to do?" "I think I'll give a speech!"
Taking the oath of office is the only constitutionally mandated event of the day, but every president has agreed with George Washington...
Did the Cowardly Lion give the greatest campaign speech of all time? Quite possibly.
Many writers have suggested that L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is an allegory for late 19th-century American Populism. (For a...
Political cartoon
Poking fun at the crowded presidential race—in the 1880s
The amazing thing about running for president is how many people are actually willing to attempt it. The 2016 campaign's big crop is...

Thinking about impeachment like a historian

By NMAH, January 21, 2020

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A tin foil version of the Stanley Cup
Let’s Go Caps: A curator’s collecting trip into Caps mania
I’m a lifelong resident of the Washington, D.C. area and a hockey fan. So imagine my excitement (and surprise) last year when my team, the...
Three political ribbons with red, yellow, and blue colors, all showing illustrations of James Buchanan
The unforgettably forgettable president: A look at Mr. Buchanan
James Buchanan. Do you recognize this name? According to TIME magazine’s “Top 10 Forgettable Presidents,” you probably don’t. Chances are,...
White hat with blue ribbon and black and white photo of John F. Kennedy smiling
Curators collect history as it happens at the 2016 national political conventions
Scrolling through social media or watching on TV, you can't miss the pageantry accompanying national political conventions. The bright...

The Washington Monument: A view from the museum

By NMAH, September 6, 2019
Pink marble fragment

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A black plaster bust of George III depicts the king with an engaged expression, complete with open eyes and an open mouth. The bust’s base is inscribed with the latin phrase “pater patriae,” loosely translated as “Father of the Country.”
The father of our country?
Several decades after the American Revolution, George had come to be known to many of his countrymen as “pater patriae,” or “the father of...
A grainy, black and white photograph of a shirtless man with dark hair being led down a hallway by two uniformed police officers
Primary sources provide perspectives on the 50th anniversary of the March on the Pentagon
A note to our readers: This blog post contains imagery that some may find disturbing. Reader discretion is advised.Between 50,000 and 150,...
Alexander Calder's "Gwenfritz"
A monument to modernity: Conserving Alexander Calder's "Gwenfritz"
If you’ve ever visited the museum, you've likely passed by an enormous abstract sculpture called Gwenfritz. After undergoing a massive...

Remembering Robert Kennedy

By NMAH, June 21, 2018
Political campaign buttons with slogans from Robert Kennedy’s presidential campaign

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Weathered top hat
Artifacts of assassination, Pt. 1
The best documented presidential deaths in the Political History collections are those associated with assassinations. Though the nation...
Mourning card for Abraham Lincoln that includes excerpts from his second inaugural address. The text is written on a white design made to look like a decorated altar.
Commemorating a president's life, in stationery and floral arrangements
When you think about it, funerals and other major life events are not all that different—well, aside from the obvious, that generally...
Inspiration from the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides
One of the things I love most about being a public historian at the nation’s history museum is how the past comes to life every day. As the...

What connects Abraham Lincoln and vampires? Bram Stoker, of course.

By NMAH, June 6, 2018
Bronze Abraham Lincoln life mask on white background

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Sheet music cover with witches
The New Woman meets the old witch
How would you describe a witch? Black pointy hats probably spring to mind, as well as a range of distinguishing ugly features like crooked...
Lincoln's hat
A closer look at President Lincoln's silk hat
April 15 marks the 150th anniversary of the death of Abraham Lincoln. Across the country, there will be numerous remembrances and...
Inside of Abraham Lincoln's watches reveals both its inner workings and engravings, including ""April 13, 1861 Fort Sumpter was attacked by the rebels on the above date J Dillon April 13, 1861 Washington" and "thank God we have a government Jonth Dillon."
A secret message inside Lincoln's watch?
A hush fell over the room as the watchmaker halted his work. A partially-dismantled pocket watch that once belonged to President Abraham...

Artifacts of assassination, Pt. 2

By NMAH, October 30, 2017
Rectangular piece of tile with geometric shapes in various colors: black, white, red, yellow, and pink

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Weathered top hat
Artifacts of assassination, Pt. 1
The best documented presidential deaths in the Political History collections are those associated with assassinations. Though the nation...
A dried rose
Unique souvenirs of death kept to remember U.S. presidents
Collecting souvenirs is often part of happy times in our lives. Who among us doesn’t have a shelf with a shell picked up on the beach, a...
Gold locket with black onyx stones along its border and brown hair embedded in the center under glass.
How first families have memorialized and mourned
Just in time for Halloween, your favorite collections managers from the Division of Political History bring you a new blog series: "Death...

Artifacts of assassination, Pt. 1

By NMAH, October 30, 2017
Weathered top hat

Related Blog Posts

Rectangular piece of tile with geometric shapes in various colors: black, white, red, yellow, and pink
Artifacts of assassination, Pt. 2
The best documented presidential deaths in the Political History collections are those associated with assassinations. In Part 1 of this...
A dried rose
Unique souvenirs of death kept to remember U.S. presidents
Collecting souvenirs is often part of happy times in our lives. Who among us doesn’t have a shelf with a shell picked up on the beach, a...
Mourning card for Abraham Lincoln that includes excerpts from his second inaugural address. The text is written on a white design made to look like a decorated altar.
Commemorating a president's life, in stationery and floral arrangements
When you think about it, funerals and other major life events are not all that different—well, aside from the obvious, that generally...

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